Space adjustments to our Balance Performance facility during COVID-19

Changing the space at Balance Performance Physiotherapy facility to accommodate changes to social distancing in London.

“I don’t know what I would have done if you guys weren’t open during lockdown.” – Matt C (using our AlterG to regain his fully weight-bearing walking ability following hip surgery).

We’ve been continuing to offer a service to our local Clapham, Stockwell, Brixton, Wandsworth community since the lockdown began (March 2020). The government allowed physiotherapy to continue and our professional body encouraged its members to meet the more urgent needs people had. This for both the sake of the individual and in some cases to avoid increasing any burden on NHS services, with trips to GP or A&E. As demand for urgent physiotherapy has increased we have had to make changes to the Balance Performance Physiotherapy facility.

Back and pelvic pain, rehabilitation following orthopaedic surgery, trauma or sports injury, neurological rehabilitation and Vojta therapy

So we have seen our existing clients and new clients in-person when we reasoned that a virtual session was truly insufficient and an in-person session was necessary. In essence this refers to those people who would become more disabled and be in more pain as a result of not having rehabilitative physiotherapy.

We started with just one member of the Balance team looking after these clients on site but currently we have five professionals in across the week. Lucy Goldby, Sophia Busfield, Caroline Lyons, Joanne Coates and Jose Manuel San Mengibar are able to offer the widest range of our physical therapy services. Back and pelvic pain, rehabilitation following orthopaedic surgery, trauma or sports injury, neurological rehabilitation and Vojta therapy. In addition we have Jonathan Zulueta, another of our Consultant Physiotherapists, coming in as required to do essential treatments for people with debilitating balance disturbances and dizziness.

All the other active members of our team are offering online consultations and treatments. Please contact the clinic on 0207 627 2308 to discuss your personal situation further.

Facility changes and reduced capacity to accommodate safe social distancing

The priorities for keeping our team and our clients safe are the following:

screening team members and clients on arrival for health status and body temperature
ensuring good hygiene, especially hand washing and hand sanitising – of both team members and clients. Plus cleaning of equipment and surfaces at a through the day frequency way beyond anything we have done previously.
maintaining social distancing of 2 metres

It is standard operating for physiotherapists at Balance to wash hands between clients and using hand sanitiser as required but points one and two have been implemented since the COVID-19 situation worsened.

Point 3 on social distancing has required us to make some changes to the way we use the building here on Gauden Road. We now have two entrances in use and four means of exiting. We have reduced the number of treatment rooms in use and each has an associated exercise area if required. We have made other adjustments in anticipation of a return to strength and conditioning services – hopefully in the near future we can see that return too. These pictures will not mean much to those who are new to Balance but if you know us well you’ll see the difference…